Today is Nelson Mandela International Day, as declared by the United Nations, and the dean of The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) College of Arts and Sciences is urging all students, staff and faculty in his college and on the entire campus to take part in this tribute to the late South African president and human-rights leader by doing some volunteer work.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is halfway to reaching the $1 billion goal of its current fundraising drive, the largest in the history of the school, and officials say the money raised will benefit the city and region, not just the campus.

The stakes in the Halbig case are a "big deal," since government statistics show that 94% of those using the federally run exchanges had a subsidized premium, Michael Morrisey, PhD, director of the Lister Hill Center for Health Policy at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, told MedPage Today in an email. "The absence of subsidies in the 26 federal-default states would lead to substantial reductions in purchased coverage in those states."

“I just like to over-exaggerate certain features. I think it’s just my style. Her head is a little bit bigger and her legs are a little bit shorter than what you would find on an actual zonkey,” said Stacey Holloway, the artist who created Xena. But Xena’s changing expression was completely an accident, according to Holloway, a visiting assistant professor of sculpture at UAB in Birmingham.

Health-care providers at The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) are seeking to do a better job of determining which of their patients are veterans of the U.S. military and what health needs or risks they may have related to their service.

From SFGate.comBut Kegels are not just for women anymore. Pelvic floor exercises can help treat incontinence and perhaps sexual dysfunction in men, too, studies have found. Now the rush is on to persuade middle-aged men to get on the bandwagon.

"The vast majority of tumor cells are associated with blood vessels. These cells appear to be using the vessels as highways to travel great distances within the brain," said Harald Sontheimer, PhD, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

From LiveScience.comJust like humans, elephants with excess fat are more likely to develop heart disease, arthritis and infertility, Daniella Chusyd, a graduate student at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, said in a statement. Previous studies have shown an alarming number of African elephants in zoos have irregular or no ovarian cycles.

From The Wall Street JournalFruits and vegetables are high in water and fiber, so people may feel full earlier. But without a reduction in overall calories, weight gain would be more likely than weight loss, researchers said. Although low in calories compared with other commonly consumed foods, fruits and vegetables can still add calories to an overall diet.

To better identify and treat patients that have served in the military, the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Medicine has partnered with Joining Forces, a federal initiative that supports veterans as they adjust to life back in the states.

Bill York recently became among the first patients in Alabama and the United States to receive a MitraClip device in a breakthrough, new minimally invasive treatment option used to aid patients suffering from mitral regurgitation. Oluseun Alli, MD, director of the Structural Heart Program in the UAB School of Medicine Section of Interventional Cardiology, and Massoud Leesar, MD, professor of medicine and section chief of Interventional Cardiology, performed the procedure on June 24.

In one clinical trial of men about to undergo prostate surgery, patients were randomly assigned to start doing Kegels before the operation or to get standard care without exercises. The difference in outcomes was startling, said Dr. Patricia S. Goode, medical director of the incontinence clinic at University of Alabama at Birmingham and one of the authors of the study.

“Frequently, patients are able to have the robotic bypass to the front of the heart, then return later for stenting of the other blocked arteries. We treated Mr. Parris during the same hospitalization because we were concerned his other blockages might become unstable and cause a heart attack if the stents were delayed,” Louis Brunsting, M.D, associate professor of surgery and chief of the Section of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Once so committed to segregation that it was called America’s Johannesburg, Birmingham has loomed large in my consciousness. Throughout my Connecticut childhood, its name served as code for racial intolerance. Now, five decades after the civil rights movement’s most galvanizing events—Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter From Birmingham Jail,” the Children’s Crusade, and the bombing of the 16th Street Baptist Church—I’ve come down to see how much has changed.

“Aging is not such a deep part of our biology that it can’t be changed,” said Steven Austad, chair of the biology department at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. “All this stuff seemed like science fiction a few years ago, but now we have it, at least in mice.”

n 2013, 10.81 people of every 100,000 in Alabama tested newly positive for HIV, and 18,416 people in Alabama lived with HIV/AIDS, according to preliminary statistics from the Alabama Department of Health.

Researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham said that obesity in elephants is no laughing matter. "Obesity affects about 40 percent of African elephants in captivity," said Daniella Chusyd, M.A., a doctoral student in the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Nutrition Sciences. "Much as we see in humans, excess fat in elephants contributes to the development of heart disease, arthritis, a shorter lifespan and infertility."

Cheri Plasters, a University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Nursing graduate and nurse in transplant and general surgical services in the Surgical Intensive Care Unit, will implement the "Have you ever served in the military?" campaign at UAB. UAB Hospital providers will obtain a military health history if a patient affirms he or she is current or former military personnel

Community volunteers pulled, straightened and draped long strips of colored fabric in the lobby of UAB'sAbroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts Thursday afternoon, folding, matching and contrasting colors, preparing for the unveiling of a unique art installation on the UAB campus.

Amanda Browder, the Brooklyn-based artist behind the project, titled "Magic Chromacity," walked along the fabric providing helpful instructions as it was readied to adorn the exterior of AEIVA, and the Alys Stephens Center across the street.

Harald Sontheimer, Professor of Neurobiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his colleagues report the findings in the journal Nature Communications. He says they found most brain tumor cells are associated with blood vessels and "these cells appear to be using the vessels as highways to travel great distances within the brain."

UAB visiting assistant professor Stacey Holloway will unveil her installation, "The Huntress" at the event, and her student, Jacob Phillips, will show "Amalgamation of Knowledge." Holloway has exhibited sculptures and installations throughout the nation, including galleries in Chicago, Indianapolis, Minneapolis and Brooklyn.

"I am very excited about the release of this therapy for an infection that is very difficult to treat," said Boni Elewski, M.D., Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Professor of Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. "Kerydin will offer patients a new, safe and effective treatment option for onychomycosis."

Many colleges and universities are expanding or building new health facilities, says M. Jacob Baggott, president-elect of the American College Health Association. One such school is the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he's executive director of health and wellness. Beside primary care services, he says many campuses offer sports health services, comprehensive health and wellness programs, and in some cases, dental and vision services.

Harald Sontheimer, Ph.D., from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and his colleagues investigated the interactions between glioblastoma cells, astrocytes and cerebral blood vessels. They used mouse models of glioblastoma, fluorescent dyes and a variety of imaging techniques to see how tumor cells migrate through the brain and interact with other cells and blood vessels.

“I am very excited about the release of this therapy for an infection that is very difficult to treat,” said Boni Elewski, M.D., Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and Professor of Dermatology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Get a jump on your July 4 celebration tonight and avoid the Thunder on the Mountain traffic.At 7 p.m., the UAB Summer Band starts its annual Independence Day concert on the Bartow Arena lawn, 617 13th St. South. Listen to patriotic music to get you into the mood for the fireworks display that follows at 9 p.m. on Red Mountain.